Portable highway signal light



A ril 8, 1952 E. F. STEFFEN 2,591,883

I PORTABLE HIGHWAY SIGNAL LIGHT Filed D80. 17, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET .1

Inventor Edward FSZe/fefl Attorney 2 SHEET$$HEET 2 4 III Mm 4 EJw'arJFHZQ Z/en E. F. STEFFEN PORTABLE HIGHWAY SIGNAL LIGHT April 8, 1952 Filed Dec. 17, 1948 Almrney Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE HIGHWAY SIGNAL Licn'r Edward F. Stefien, Alvin, Tex.

Application December 17, 1948, Serial No. 65,833

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a portable highway signal light adapted to be used by police for directing traffic at intersections at night and which well adapts itself for use by highway workers to indicate a road obstruction.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a portable illuminated sigard II may be made of various sizes but is preferably about nine andone-half feet in length.

The upper standard section I has an internal nal provided with a self contained light source and which is capable of being extended for use or readily retracted into a compact unit for storage or transportation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable highway signal of extremely simple construction, capable of being economically manufactured and which will be efficient and durable for its intended purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signal apparatus which may be readily disassembled for the replacement of batteries or the light bulb thereof and from which the signal lenses may be removed and replaced to adapt the signal to diiferent roadway conditions.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View showing the portable highway signal in an extended, operative position;

Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4--4 of Figure 3, and on an enlarged scale;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus;

Figure 6 is a plan view of one lens of the apparatus;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit of the apparatus, and

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section of a portion of the signal standard.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

the novel portable self contained highway signal light comprising the invention is designated generally III and includes an elongated standard or post, designated generally II including a lower tubular section I2, an intermediate tubular section I3 which telescopes into. the section I2 and an upper tubular section I l which telescopes into the intermediate tubular section I3. The standdiameter preferably of about one and threeeighths inches and as best seen in Figure 3 is internally threaded at its lower end to receive the base of a threaded plug I5 which is removably mounted therein and which supports an expansion spring I6 which bears against the lowermost of a series of dry cell batteries H which are stacked thereon in a manner conventional to flashlights and which fill the remainder of the standard section M. Said standard section M preferably contains about seven batteries I11 which are yieldably urged upwardly by the spring I6, for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

The intermediate standard section I3 carries a pair of spring latch members I8 adjacent the upper end thereof having studs I9 projecting inwardly therefrom for engaging aligned openings 20 near the upper end of the section I3 and the lower end of the section HS, in one position of said sections relatively to one another, and by means of which the section It is releasably held in an extended position relatively to the section I3 and nonrotatably connected thereto. The lower standard section I2 is provided with an externally flanged or ribbed upper end 2! on which an annular inwardly opening channel portion 22 of a collar 23 is rotatably mounted for rotatably supporting said collar above the standard section I2. The collar 23 has the same internal diameter as the standard section I 2 to receive the intermediate standard section I3 which slidably engages and fits relatively snug therein, as does the standard section I4 in the intermediate standard section I3. The collar 23 is provided with a pair of spring latch members 24, corresponding to the latch members I8 carrying inwardly projecting studs 25 for engaging registering openings 26 in the standard section I3 and collar 23 when the standard section i3 is extended, for nonrotatably connecting the collar 23 to the standard section I3 and for retaining the latter releasably in its extended position as illustrated in Figure 1. Accordingly, it will be seen that the standard sections l3 and M in extended positions are rotatably supported by the collar 23 relatively to the lower standard section I2, for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

The standard I I is provided with a collapsible tripod support, designated generally 21, including three equally spaced legs 28 having upper ends which are pivotally connected to the standard section l2, near its upper end in pairs of cars 29 which project from the standard section I2. Each leg 28, adjacent its lower end, is connected to the lower portion of the standard l2 by a knee-type brace 39 formed of brace sections the adjacent ends of which are pivotally connected together and the remote end of one of which is pivotally connected to its leg 28 and the remote end of the other of which brace section is pivotally connected by another pair of ears to the standard section l2. Each of the braces 30 break 'or fold downwardly and carry a stop 3| to prevent the braces from being moved beyond a fully extended position as seen in Figure l. Accordingly, it will be readily seen that the braces 30 may be broken downwardly for positioning the legs '28 substantially parallel to the standard l2 or extended for retaining the legs 28 in downwardly diverging relationship to one another and to said standard section I2. The legs 28 are of a length to extend to below the standard section l2, when extended, and are provided with foot members 32 on their lower ends for engaging a supporting surface, such :as a roadway, and which are preferably formed of rubber.

A lamp casing 33 is demountably supported on the upper end of the upper standard section l4 and includes a substantially rectangular casing the four sides of which are preferably of equal size, and are each provided with a relatively large opening 34. The casing bottom 35 is provided with a centrally disposed depending annular flange 35 which fits over the upper end of the upper standard section l4 and is detachably secured thereto as by a setscrew 31. A socket as is disposed over the central portion of the bottom 35 and secured on an annular member 33 of insulating material which is in turn secured to the upper side of the bottom 35. The bottom 35 is provided with an opening which registers with the bore of the standard section I4 and with the bore of the insulating member 39 and socket 38 to receive the base 4| of a lamp bulb 42, which base is threaded to engage the internally threaded socket 38 and extends downwardly therethrough so that its base contact 43 engages the positive contact of the uppermost battery H, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 5. It will also be readily apparent that the other contact of the lamp bulb 42 provided by the threaded portion of the base 4| is in electrical contact with the socket 38 and it will be obvious that the globe of the bulb 42 is thus supported in the lamp casing 33.

As best illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, each of the corner portions formed by the four side walls of the casing 33 is provided on its inner side with a pair of angle members 44 each of which combines with a portion of the casing to form a lens receiving channel 45. The casing 33 is provided with an open top through which lenses 46 and 41 may be inserted or removed and said lenses are disposed against the inner sides of the side walls of the casing 33 with the side edges of each engaged in a pair of the channels 45 and so that the lens will be positioned to cover the opening 34. The lenses 43 and 41 are of colored translucent material such as glass, the lenses 46 being preferably green and the lenses 4! preferably red. The lenses 46 each having printed thereon the word "Go and the lenses 4! having printed thereon the word Stop, which lettering is of a distinct coloring to stand out against the lenses when the lamp bulb 42 is illuminated.

The open top of the casing 33 is provided with a spider 48 having four arms which connect with the angle members 44 and having an internally threaded central bore 49. A removable cap 50 is supported on the open top of the casing 33 by a headed bolt 5| which extends slidably and rotatably through the center thereof and which detachably engages the threaded bore 49. The cap 53 is composed of four upwardly converging triangular sides the outer edges of which overlie the sides of the casing 33.

As best illustrated in Figure 5, a switch member 52 of an electrical conducting material is slidably supported on the upper side of the bottom 35 and includes a noncircular boss 53 through which extends a noncircular shank 54 of a pin 55. Said shank 54 extends through an elongated opening 53 in the bottom 35 which is shaped to slidably but nonrotatably receive the shank 54 to prevent the pin and switch member 52 from turning relatively to the casing bottom 35. The depending terminal '56 of the shank 54 is threaded to receive the internally threaded socket 51 of a handle 53 which depends from the casing 33. An expansion spring 59 is interposed between the head of the pin 55 and the switch member 52 for yieldably urging the switch member downwardly and against the casing bottom 35 and for frictionally retaining said switch member in various positions to which it is moved relatively to the casing bottom. The switch member 52 and socket 38 are provided with upturned portions which are disposed in engagement to complete the electric circuit to the lamp bulb 42 when the switch memper 52 is moved inwardly of the socket 38 by a manual operation of the handle 58. It will be readily apparent that when the switch member 52 is thus disposed as illustrated in Figures 3 and 5, that the electric circuit will be completed through the batteries I1 and the lamp bulb 42 back across the socket 38 and switch member 52 to the casing bottom 35 and standard section I4, which parts are of electrical conducting material, and from the standard section [4 through the plug 15 and spring [5 to the negative end of the lower battery H, as illustrated in the diagrammatic view Figure '7. On the other hand, when the switch member 52 is moved out of engagement with the socket 38 the circuit will be interrupted due to the fact that the socket 38 is insulated from the casing 33 by the insulating member 39. As indicated in Figure 5, the individual batteries I! are preferably enclosed in tubular casings of insulating material.

The standard sections 13 and I4 and the standard section [3 and collar 23 are provided with indexing marks 63, as best illustrated in Figures 1 and 8, for correctly positioning said parts relatively to one another to position the openings 20 and 23 in registry for receiving the studs 19 and 25, respectively.

The collar 23 is provided with an outwardly projecting handle ti adapted to be manually engaged for turning said collar, the standard sections I3 and I4 and the lamp casing 33 relatively to the lower standard section 12 back and forth through arcs of for positioning the green and red lenses 46 and 4?, respectively to face either way at an intersection as is conventional. Obviously, two of the lenses, such as the lenses 45 could be removed and replaced by opaque plates if it were desired to use the signal at a road obstruction or as merely a stop signal and various other arrangements of the lenses can be utilized.

It will likewise be readily apparent that when the signal is not in use the upper free end of the latch members l8 and 24, which are flared outwardly, can be engaged for retracting the studs l9 and 25 to permit the section l4 to telescope into the section l3 and to permit said section [3 to telescope into the section I2 after which the braces 30 can be broken and the legs folded against the standard section I2.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention;

A portable highway signal light comprising a supporting standard formed of telescopic sections, a collapsible tripod base connected to and disposed around the lower section of said standard for supporting the standard in an upright position, a lamp casing mounted on the upper end of said standard having side walls each including a colored translucent portion, a light source within the lamp casing for illuminating said translucent portions, a self contained electric power source removably mounted in the upper section of the standard and supported thereby in direct contact with the light source for supplying 2 current thereto, and means swivelly connecting the upper and lower portions of the standard whereby the lamp casing may be turned, extended or retracted relatively to the tripod base, said means comprising an annular outturned flange on the upper end of the lower standard section, a sleeve having a circumferentially enlarged lower end portion defining an inwardly opening annular channel for receiving the annular flange to rotatably mount the sleeve on the lower standard section, the upper portion of said sleeve slid-' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1-,505,601 Podolsky Aug. 19, 1924 1,542,575 Perry June 16, 1925 1,579,877 McDonnell Apr. 6, 1926 

